How DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center is designed for climate-friendly ‘net-zero’ status

The DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center has set a new bar for the county forest preserve system.

The visitor center and animal hospital is the district's first “net-zero” designed building. Net zero, as explained by a display in the public exhibit hall, means the total energy a building consumes in a year is equal to the amount of renewable energy produced on site.

The next 18 months are considered critical for hitting that mark, noted Kevin Horsfall, the district’s planning and development director.

To that end, a solar energy system is expected to produce about $735,000 kilowatts of energy annually, or 110% of the facility’s needs. There are three sections: the roof of the clinic has 556 panels; the roof of the large raptor barn has 276 panels; and the ground-mounted array in front of the raptor barn at the front entrance consists of 176 panels.

The anticipated energy consumption of the building is about $660,000 KWH annually. Excess energy produced will be sold back to ComEd.

“But we won't know until we go through an entire year to see how the building operates through each season. That's why it takes us 12 to 18 months to prove out net zero,” Horsfall said.

The building also relies on a complex geothermal system with 450-foot deep wells.

“There's temperature thermostats in every room, so we can see how the building is heating and cooling with the geothermal system, where we may need to open valves, where we may need to do additional things,” Horsfall said.

Wight & Company also designed the building with double-glazed windows and extra insulation.

“But it takes everyone involved, from not only staff, but our volunteers, the animal care keepers, and our contractors and subconsultants who are all working together to help us be successful in our net-zero journey,” Horsfall said.

Officials will monitor it weekly with sensors that have been installed in the various systems.

“Then we'll make tweaks and adjustments as necessary to make sure that we're not wasting energy anywhere,” Horsfall said.

That ties into the work of the center to treat injured wildlife. The net-zero exhibit describes how the use of coal, gas and other fossil fuels in heating and energy production creates greenhouse gas emissions. Those gases accelerate climate change, which affects “people and wildlife alike.”